1990s

Her first credited role was in The Wonder Years starring Fred Savage in the episode entitled "Road Test", as Savage's high school "dream girl". Silverstone then won a leading part in the 1993 film The Crush, playing a teenaged girl who sets out to ruin an older man after he spurns her affections; she won two awards at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards for the role—Best Breakthrough Performance and Best Villain.[4] Silverstone became legally emancipated at the age of 15 in order to work the hours required for the shooting schedule of the film.[7] Silverstone made some television movies in her early career including Torch Song, Cool and the Crazy[4] and Scattered Dreams.

After seeing her in The Crush, Marty Callner decided Silverstone would be perfect for a role in a music video he was directing for the band Aerosmith, called "Cryin'"; she was subsequently cast in two more videos, "Amazing" and "Crazy." These were hugely successful for both the band and Silverstone, making her a household name (and also gaining her the nickname, "the Aerosmith chick").[10] After seeing Silverstone in the three videos, filmmaker Amy Heckerling decided to cast her in Clueless.[11]

2000s

In 2000, Silverstone appeared in Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of the Shakespeare play Love's Labour's Lost, in which she was required to sing and dance. In 2001, Silverstone provided the voice of Sharon Spitz, the lead character in the Canadian animated television Braceface. During this time, she also made the films Global Heresy and Scorched. In 2002, she made her Broadway debut alongside Kathleen Turner and Jason Biggs in The Graduate.[4] After removing herself from the public eye for a few years, she resurfaced in the short-lived 2003 NBC television series Miss Match, which was canceled after 11 episodes. Silverstone later acknowledged that she hates the trappings of fame, saying, "Fame is not anything I wish on anyone. You start acting because you love it. Then success arrives, and suddenly you're on show".[18]

Silverstone filmed a small segment in Elektra Luxx, a sequel to Women In Trouble. Director Sebastian Gutierrez cut her segment but will possibly use it for a third installment, tentatively titled Women In Ecstasy.[22]

2010s

In 2010, she reprised her role in Time Stands Still alongside Laura Linney in the New York production of the play on Broadway, which premiered on January 28, 2010, directed by Daniel Sullivan, who described Silverstone as "a breath of fresh air."[23] The play received good reviews with The New York Times praising Silverstone, saying she "brings warmth, actorly intelligence and delicate humour."[24]

Her next role was in Butter as the adoptive mother of a 12-year old African American girl who enters a local butter sculpture competition in a small Iowa town. Rob Corddry, who plays her husband, invited her to appear in an episode of his show Childrens Hospital.[28] She also reunited with Clueless director Amy Heckerling in Vamps, playing one of two vampires who fall in love and face a choice that could jeopardise their immortality.[29] She was offered the role after Heckerling came to see her in Time Stands Still.[30]

Personal life

Silverstone married her longtime boyfriend, rock musician (for the band S.T.U.N.) Christopher Jarecki in a beachfront ceremony at Lake Tahoe, on June 11, 2005.[36] After meeting outside a movie theater in 1997, the couple dated for eight years prior to their marriage.[37] They got engaged about a year before their marriage and Jarecki presented Silverstone with an engagement ring that had belonged to his grandmother.[38]

In January 2011, it was announced that Silverstone and Jarecki were expecting their first child together.[43] In May 2011, Silverstone gave birth to a boy, whom they named Bear Blu Jarecki.[44]

In March 2012 she uploaded video of herself feeding pre-chewed food to her son from her own mouth, a process called premastication.[45][46] In response to criticism she made a statement that its been going on for thousands of years, and is perfectly natural. [47]

Political beliefs

Silverstone is noted for being an animal rights and environmental activist. She became a vegan in 1998 after attending an animal rights meeting, saying "I realized that I was the problem … I was an animal lover who was eating animals."[37] She has stated she struggled with childhood vegetarianism, stating "at eight years old it's hard to stick to your guns – and so through the years I was always starting and stopping trying to be a vegetarian."[48] In 2004, Silverstone was voted "Sexiest Female Vegetarian" by PETA.[49] In 2007, Silverstone appeared nude in a print advertisement and 30-second commercial for PETA championing vegetarianism; the TV spot was subsequently pulled from the Houston, Texas market by Comcast Cable.[50] Silverstone has set up a sanctuary for rescued pets in Los Angeles.[51] In 2012, during the trial of Russian band Pussy Riot, she wrote a letter to Vladimir Putin asking that vegan meals be made available to all Russian prisoners.[52]

In 2009, she appeared in "A Gaythering Storm", a Funny or Die spoof internet video parodying anti-same-sex marriage commercial "The Gathering Storm."[55] She also appeared in "My Mother's Red Hat" with Alanis Morissette parodying indie movies.

Awards and nominations

She was awarded a Heart Of Green Award in 2009, which "recognises individuals, organizations or companies who have helped green go mainstream."[57] In 2010, she was awarded a Voice Of Compassion Award by the Physician's Committee For Responsible Medicine for "shining a spotlight on the powerful health benefits of a vegan diet."[58]